Making Memories
by malloryg
Summary: Elena has had a tough year and doesn't have much Christmas spirit. Can the family she has left change that for her?  Takes place after the sacrifice and Klaus is killed. Delena Fluff.


It was 8 am and Elena was still in bed. She was laying there staring at the ceiling like she has been for the past hour. She didn't want to get up, she just wanted to lay in bed all day long. It was December 1st, the day that her parents, Jeremy, and her would get up a 7am every year and put up all the Christmas decorations possible. It was a tradition; they would blast Christmas carols, drink hot chocolate, and skip around in their Santa hats all day long while slowly putting up decorations. This was the first year it would just be her and Jer, her first Christmas without her parents, and the first year she actually dreaded Christmas day to come.

At one point her gaze traveled to the window. It wasn't even Christmas yet and everything was already pure white out there. Watching the small flakes come down brought back so many memories of playing outside with Jeremy and her parents playing outside and making snowmen, when everything was simple and easy. Now her life was so different. She misses everyone she has lost with her entire heart. But slowly she is trying to move on enough to enjoy the rest of her youth while she still has it.

When looking at her life she looked happy, and she was, but she still had so much pain. She had lost all parental figures she had. Her mom, her dad, her Aunt, her birth father, and her birth mother. Thank god for Jeremy. The initial pain has started to fade, but the slight emptiness was still there. She didn't have Stefan as her boyfriend anymore. But she did have him as one of her best friends. They had broken up sometime after the sacrifice; both decided it was a good idea. They just didn't feel for each other like they use to. Now it is a complete brother sister kind of relationship.

Alaric had moved in and took in a father/friend position in our lives and Bonnie and Jeremy have been in a steady relationship for awhile now, same with Tyler and Caroline. She was so happy for all of them, that they were so happy together. Then there is Damon. She can't really explain what he is to her. They have grown so close in the last couple months and everyone encourages it, especially Caroline. They spend time together almost every day and have shared a few innocent kisses, and are completely attached at the hip. They are always touching each other, either holding hands, tracing patterns on each other's arms, small simple things that they seem to not notice at all even though everyone else does. Neither of them say they are in a relationship, but everyone knows it will happen when both are ready for it.

It was sometime around 8:30 when her peace was interrupted. Caroline and Bonnie were the leaders of the invasion of her room. They both came in and plopped down on Elena's bed while Tyler took a seat on her window seat, Jer, Stefan, and Damon entered all with smiles on their faces, and Alaric casually leaned on her door frame.

"Uh, what's up guys?" she said with and awkward/amused laugh while sitting up in her bed.

"Are you kidding me, you know what day it is right?" Jer asked smiling.

"I know what day it is Jer, I just didn't know if we were still going to do that, it's the first year without them." She said with hesitation and sadness.

"I know Lena, I know it. And I know it won't be the same, it will never be the same without then but I asked everybody to come and were going to make this a fun day, we need to have this day together. Jeremy said coming to sit on the bed next to me with sad eyes.

"Were all here for you guys." Tyler said looking at them.

"Yeah and I even bought your favorite Hot Chocolate mix." Caroline added while nudging Elenas arm. Elena sighed with a smile and rolled out of bed.

"Well someone turn up the music and I'll be down in a minute." She said with a happy smile on her face.

Everyone smiled and cheered, while Caroline squealed with happiness. Jer came over, hugged her and kissed her on her head. Everyone exited but Damon was the last to the door. He stopped, pulled a Santa hat from behind him and tossed it to her.

"Don't take too long." He said with a smirk and left the room.

She smiled and shook her head. She made her way to the bathroom to get ready excited for the day. She walked out of her room in her yoga pants that went to her knees, a white flimsy tank, and her Santa hat. Hearing the carols coming from the living room immediately put a smile on her face. When walking in she notice that Caroline, Bonnie, and Jer had also dug out there hats. She guessed the rest didn't want to mess up their hair. They were such girls.

Boxes were spread all through the house, it was a maze. She saw the tree was already in the corner of the room like it always was put. The "Christmas Story" was playing on the T.V but was put on silent. Everyone noticed her walk in the room and smiled, Damon went right up to her, handed her a mug of hot chocolate. He went behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle as she thanked him. Stefan turned down the music.

"Your guys ready?" Stefan asked the group, and everyone cheered. They looked at Elena for an answer.

"Let's do it" she said raising her glass.

The music immediately went up and everyone started. Stefan, Tyler and Jeremy started putting lights up on the tree and the rest started digging through boxes.

Everyone was singing along to the music and enjoying themselves. Putting all the ornaments on the tree was the girl's job, and they enjoyed it immensely. The guys not including Jeremy and Damon were out putting light up outside. They played rock-paper-scissors for who had to go out there in the freezing weather. Everything was swell. Elena noticed she was out of hot chocolate; she grabbed her mug and went into the kitchen. She didn't notice Damon follow her until she turned around from the counter and jumped.

"Oh! You scared me." She said trying to calm herself down. He smirked and walked towards her.

"Sorry." He said when he was inches from her, she could practically feel his breath on her.

She smiled and he smiled back. They stared at each other for a while, having some shameless eye sex was one thing they did all the time. They finally looked away when bonnie came in to get some hot chocolate she poured herself a glass, but left quickly when she noticed what she walked in on. Elena smiled shyly and made her way out the kitchen. But Damon stopped her. They were both standing in the doorway, Elena looking confused.

"Look up." Damon whispered and she did. Above them was a little mistletoe hanging. She was sure she didn't see that on her way in but she didn't dwell on it. She smiled at him, and turned around, set her mug on a nearby table, and checked to make sure Caroline, Bonnie, and Jeremy were busy with the tree. She turned back to Damon and saw a bit of question in his eyes, wondering if she really was going to do it.

She wrapped one hand around his neck and pulled his head down to hers for a soft kiss. His hands went right to her hips and brought her closer to him. They broke apart to look at each other. They both smiled and she pulled his lips back to hers for a more passionate kiss. It soon turned into a full on make out session. They didn't even hear the front door open and everyone come in. They all notice the moment between the two and smiled. Caroline being Caroline of course broke up the moment.

"Get it girl!" She yelled.

They both broke apart when they heard her. Damon just smirked, but Elena blushing of course, buried her face in Damon's chest laughing. Damon wrapped his arms around her and brought her back into the kitchen where he lifted her up onto the counter and continued were they left off. Jeremy and his fun ideas decided that they needed to be messed with and dug around until he found the box of tinsel. Tyler his accomplice grabbed a box full with him and snuck into the kitchen. They both dumped the boxes on top of the couple and ran out of the room. Elena squealed and Damon laughed. That was the beginning of a tinsel throwing fight that went on for hours.

They were all sitting around the living room. Alaric in his lazy boy, Damon on the floor with Elena in his lap, Caroline and Tyler sharing a chair, Bonnie and Jeremy on the couch. They were all done decorating and the house felt like home again. They were all sitting around chatting with happy smiles.

It was getting close to Midnight when Elena stood up from the floor.

"Alright, I'm gonna head up to bed before I crash. I just want to say that I truly appreciate all of you coming today. It was the most fun I have had in a long time. And your all invited to Christmas dinner" She said with a tired smile.

She hugged and kissed everyone goodnight and headed upstairs with Damon in tow. Once in her room she kissed him once more before going to her bathroom to get ready for bed. Once she came out they both climbed into bed together and snuggled into each other's arms.

"I love you" Damon whispered in her ear. And she immediately had happy tears in her eyes.

"I love you too, Damon." She said and kissed him sweetly before laying her head against his chest and drifting into the happiest and most care free sleep she has had in a while.

She woke up the next morning with arms wrapped around her, and she loved that feeling. Thinking about the day she had yesterday made her unbelievably happy. She couldn't help but feel a little bit less of the emptiness she had before. Jeremy isn't the only family she had left, they were all her family and she loved all of them whole heartedly. She didn't dread Christmas anymore, she was most defiantly looking forward to it.


End file.
